Newsweek calls it “The Teen Drinking Dilemma”
June 28th, 2007 by Sue Blaney
I think the media got it right this time.
Teens and drinking is NOT a cut-and-dried issue…it presents a real dilemma for parents. If you have a high school student, you know this. You know from the sleepless nights, the worries when your teen is out late…you know from that familiar knot in your stomach and the quick sniff you take when he arrives home.
There is no easy way out for parents on this issue; you’re going to have to make some tough decisions and take a stand. Let’s help sort through the issues:
The reasons teenagers should abstain from alcohol consumption are well documented and sound.
But in the real world, parents have to worry about the “forbidden fruit syndrome.” Numerous college officials actually support a lowering of the drinking age to allow kids the opportunity to learn how to drink at home. You’ve undoubtably heard the stories of binge drinking on college campuses, and many honest teens will fess up about their over-indulgences when faced with their new-found freedom as college freshmen. Is it best to learn about drinking while under parents’ supervision at home? Only you can decide.
So herein lies the “dilemma” for parents. Will you tolerate alcohol consumption or not? Under what circumstances? At what age? Parents of teenagers must consider appropriate options, and you must include your teenager in your honest discussions. How else will you keep them safe? And how else will you teach them to be smart about alcohol consumption?
This is a complicated issue, and your decisions about the right approach may depend on your teen’s maturity, age and risk profile. And your approach may change as your teenager grows. Here are some additional resources to help you as you evaluate this dilemma:
Newsweek article: The Teen Drinking Dilemma: Should Kids Drink at Home?
Spring Celebrations invite Risky Behavior Assess your teen’s risk profile in this short assessment test, and read some tips for parents.
Freedom from Chemical Dependency offers some resources for parents of middle and high school students.
Watch for my soon-to-be-released report where I’ll share some recommendations for parents from twenty-something young adults about teens and drinking. They will tell you honest communication is key, and YOUR behavior has tremendous impact on teens’ drinking behavior.
I welcome discussion about this important topic here on this blog. Please share your thoughts!
This entry was posted on Thursday, June 28th, 2007 at 1:53 pm and is filed under Tips and Tools, Teens: Alcohol & Drugs, Risky Behavior, Parenting Teens. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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